Lawyers make final arguments in former YK councillor’s trial

Warning: This story contains details of alleged violence that may be distressing to some readers.

The Crown prosecutor and defence lawyer made closing arguments to the jury on Monday in the NWT Supreme Court trial of a former Yellowknife city councillor.

Both lawyers urged the jury to accept their witness’s version of events and reject the opposing side’s evidence.

Robin Williams has been charged with eight counts of assault, two of sexual assault, one of assault causing bodily harm, one of mischief, one of choking or suffocating and one of uttering a threat to cause death.

Williams has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

All involve the same woman, whose identity is protected by a publication ban.

The woman testified during the trial that Williams had committed the 14 offences in the course of 11 violent incidents between 2014 and 2022. Over the eight-year period, the woman alleged, Williams had broken one of her fingers, broken her phone, given her a black eye and spat on her, among other allegations.

Taking the stand in his defence, Williams denied ever assaulting the woman and alleged the incidents either did not happen as the woman described or did not happen at all. He said in many cases the woman had been the aggressor, had injured herself, or the incidents had been an accident.

Both sides entered photos and text messages as evidence.

‘You have to be sure of his guilt’

In closing arguments on Monday, defence lawyer Evan McIntyre asserted his client “did not commit the litany of criminal offences he is accused of” and urged the jury to find him not guilty on all counts.

He reminded jurors that in order to convict Williams of a charge they have to find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, rather than finding that he “maybe” or “probably” committed the offence.

“You have to be sure of his guilt,” he said.

“There’s too much at stake here for Mr Williams and if you get it wrong, he pays the price.”

McIntyre said the Crown’s case rests on the testimony of the woman. He described her as “not a truthful witness” and raised concerns about her credibility, telling the jury she “came here to court and tried to fool you.”

He pointed to inconsistencies between the woman’s testimony and earlier statements she had given to police or the court.

In one alleged incident, for example, McIntyre said while the woman testified that Williams had broken her phone at around 9pm, a photo taken by Williams showed her phone undamaged at around 11pm the same night.

He highlighted another alleged incident where the woman told police Williams had kicked her in the pelvis, then later testified he had punched her.

McyIntyre said Williams’ testimony, meanwhile, was only “mildly inconsistent” under “meticulous” cross-examination. He said the jury should accept Williams’ evidence or it should at least raise a reasonable doubt about his guilt.

‘Clear, candid and forthright’

Crown prosecutor Brian Bencze, by contrast, said the woman’s testimony was “clear, candid and forthright” and she was “unshaken” in her evidence that Williams had committed the offences against her.

Bencze said differences between the woman’s prior statements and testimony “are to be expected” as she gave several statements and was recounting multiple traumatic events from the past.

Meanwhile, Bencze asserted that Williams’ “alternative version” of events was implausible, defied “common sense” and did not withstand scrutiny.

Bencze questioned, for example, Williams’ testimony regarding one of the alleged incidents where the woman said he had dragged her by her hair.

Williams said the woman had fallen while intoxicated and, when he went behind her to help her up, her hair had become caught in his zipper.

Bencze said that was “possible but not probable.”

Bencze also challenged Williams’ allegation that the woman had given herself a black eye after punching herself while intoxicated.

“Why would anyone punch themselves in the eye?” he questioned.

Bencze pointed to inconsistencies in Williams’ testimony. He argued that Williams had refused to make “basic admissions,” such as acknowledging he is much stronger than the woman, and said Williams had minimized how upset he was during many of the alleged incidents.

Justice David Gates said he plans to give the jury “detailed and lengthy” instructions on Wednesday morning, given the number of counts with which Williams is charged.

Jury members will then deliberate whether to acquit or convict Williams on each of the 14 charges.